garden seeing SIMON. The newcomer is gaunt and haggard._]
SIMON
[_Suddenly seeing him._] Barabbas! [_Running to ACTE._] Look to the lad,
lead him to safety. We’ll fire the city. Hide with him till I join you.
The temple shall be in flames before they lead the Nazarene past it.
[_ACTE leading BATTUS and her people hurries out left. SIMON rushes to
BARABBAS, speaking swiftly._] Go where the arms are stored. Give the
slaves weapons and torches. Rouse all, arm all, stand by me to free the
Nazarene. I’ll lead his friends. Bring the slaves quickly. Strike, give
all the signal. [_BARABBAS stands motionless._] Go.
BARABBAS
[_In a dull monotonous voice._]
All’s done, all’s one, whether men live or die.
Who can withstand Rome? They tortured me.
My spirit is broken. I have been all night
Watching this one that would have saved the world
Scourged with me in the prison.
He is a god but men have conquered him.
They freed me in his place, the dead for the living.
There are no more gods left now in the sky
And on the earth nothing but dead men crawling.
SIMON
You stay? You hang back?
BARABBAS
My spirit is poisoned. I die soon.
SIMON
Then die for the living.
BARABBAS
There are none left alive.
[_As he speaks the tops of three crosses and three Roman
standards are seen against the sky at back, beyond the portico,
as they are borne slowly in procession from left to right. As
they pass, the wailing of women’s voices is heard interspersed
with the angry murmur of a crowd and cries of “Crucify him!”_]
BARABBAS
[_Pointing to the crosses._]
There goes the cross now for the god to hang on,
That’s the dead tree to bear the dead world’s fruit.
SIMON
So we must stand alone. They yell for blood.
Now they shall drown in a red sea of it.
He shall pass over safely, walking on dead men.
[_He draws his sword and rushes off right. BARABBAS stands
unmoved. PROCULA runs to right entrance staring off after
SIMON._]
PROCULA
The gods fight with you now, invisible shapes
Rush forward with you. See how cloud-like armies
Redden the air. Lead them and seize him.
[_There is a pause, then she retreats slowly from the entrance,
and SIMON re-enters stepping slowly backward as though dazzled
by a vision. As he reaches the middle of the garden a
wonderful voice is heard proceeding from the direction in which
he looks._]
THE VOICE
Put up the sword. For they that take the sword shall perish with the
sword. [_The sword falls from SIMON’S hand._]
THE VOICE
Do not resist evil.
[_There is a moment’s pause and then a CENTURION enters from
the right and goes menacingly up to SIMON._]
THE CENTURION
Who are you that you rush against legionaries? Have you an army that you
come against us? Are you a madman? Are you also one of his followers?
SIMON
[_Slowly._] I am his follower. [_PROCULA, wailing, rushes into her
house._]
THE CENTURION
[_Turning and calling to someone off right._] Ho, Longinus, come; here is
another. [_To SIMON._] What is your name and place?
SIMON
Simon, a man of Cyrene.
[_LONGINUS enters from the right accompanied by several other
legionaries._]
LONGINUS
[_To the CENTURION._] The Nazarene has fallen. The cross crushes him. He
can go no further.
THE CENTURION
Here’s one to bear it, bring it in the garden.
[_LONGINUS goes out right. The CENTURION and legionaries
surround SIMON and strip him of his outer garments. When they
have done so the MOCKER WITH THE SCOURGE enters from the right
waving the scourge threateningly, looking off as he enters. He
turns and dances about SIMON._]
THE MOCKER WITH THE SCOURGE
Prophesy, prophesy. Who is it now that strikes you? Turn the other cheek.
[_The mocker strikes SIMON. With a powerful movement SIMON
seizes the mocker, hurls him to the ground and snatching his
sword which the soldiers have placed upon a bench he clears a
space about him and starts again toward the right entrance._]
THE VOICE
Overcome evil with good. Forgive your enemy.
[_SIMON bows his head, then extends the hilt of his sword to
a soldier who takes it and strikes him with the flat of the
blade. SIMON submits, dumbly, with bowed head, to this and to
the MOCKER WITH THE SCOURGE who rises painfully from the ground
and again strikes him viciously._]
THE MOCKER WITH THE SCOURGE
Turn the other cheek.
[_He takes a rope from his girdle and making a noose in it puts
the noose over SIMON’S head and dances about him holding the
rope’s end. THE MOCKER WITH THE ROBE enters from the right._]
THE MOCKER WITH THE ROBE
Here is the scarlet robe, it fell from the King’s shoulders, Jesus of
Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Of such are the Kingdom of Heaven. [_He
places the robe on SIMON._]
Hail to the new king, Simon of Cyrene,
King of the Africans, with his Master’s robe.
[_The wailing of women outside has risen in a strain of wild
and profound melancholy. It is broken by a woman’s scream._]
THE VOICE
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for
your children. For if they do these things in a green tree what shall be
done in the dry?
[_THE MOCKER WITH THE CROWN OF THORNS enters from right._]
THE MOCKER WITH THE CROWN OF THORNS
Ho, another king, another saviour. Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. Let him be crowned. Blessed are the meek.
[_He snatches off SIMON’S head-dress, throwing it on the
ground. He pretends to place the thorn crown on SIMON’S head,
and then throws it contemptuously at his feet. The legionaries
enter with the cross._]
THE VOICE
If any man will come after me let him take up the cross and follow me.
[_The legionaries place the cross upon SIMON. He bends beneath
it and picking up the crown of thorns places it upon his head._]
SIMON
I will wear this, I will bear this till he comes into his own.
CURTAIN
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